Thanks for all the suggestions and info guys! We went by the humane society today and got to hold a super cute gray male rat. You were right, the tail isn't so bad - lol. I'm getting ready to fill out the application for the breeder that Foxy pointed me to....I'm so excited!!! I'll probably have lots more questions so I'll probably just keep updating this thread. All other information you guys want to give me is greatly appreciated!
Rat questions
- Thread starter Taqroy
- Start date
My two young girls' breeder was fine with my having dogs (one being a terrier) as I explained they'd be in a secure room most of the time.
In the past, my rats were always pet store rats though.
I love Martin's cages..they're reasonable and the owners of the company are, from what I've heard, great about working with you to customize things when needed. My first group of ratties were in a 695 model and it worked fabulously
This time, we went with a Critter Nation as we wanted the doors that open all the way plus the extra size. But we were debating between that and another Martins.
In the past, my rats were always pet store rats though.
I love Martin's cages..they're reasonable and the owners of the company are, from what I've heard, great about working with you to customize things when needed. My first group of ratties were in a 695 model and it worked fabulously
This time, we went with a Critter Nation as we wanted the doors that open all the way plus the extra size. But we were debating between that and another Martins.All my rats are rescues, and i wouldnt have it any other way. People seem to think there are only two places to get rats: Petstores or breeders, not true. There are tons of rat rescues, and tons of rats in need of new homes. They have plenty of ages, every color and variety available. The only problem is sometimes ages are unknown, backgrounds are a lot of the time unknown, health problems can be a concern, but rescue rats are most of the time from pet stores, and bad breeders as reputable rat breeders wouldnt let their rats end up in rescues.
I used to us Martins cages (i had a ruud) but Ferret nations/critter nations are so much easier to clean IMO. And you can put large ratty furniture in them unlike with the small martins doors (unless you get an expensive custom done).
Vet care and nutrition are always the big expenses with most animals, cages you only have to buy once.
I used to us Martins cages (i had a ruud) but Ferret nations/critter nations are so much easier to clean IMO. And you can put large ratty furniture in them unlike with the small martins doors (unless you get an expensive custom done).
Vet care and nutrition are always the big expenses with most animals, cages you only have to buy once.
I've only skimmed this... I'll just add to your questions about cage, food, and whatnot.
I have a Martins cage for my 2 girls. It's held up really nicely, I've had it for nearly 6 years, 3 of those years it was left sitting in our garage... still looks brand new. I use fleece and towels for bedding. I don't know if it's because I have females now instead of males, but I don't notice ANY smell like I did with other beddings (and I've tried aspen, Carefresh, and Yesterdays News... the YN was the best of those, although not the comfiest). My mom is a freak when it comes to animal smells and she didn't want me to have rats in the first place, and she admits that she doesn't smell them. You would think fabric would get super stinky, but apparently not lol. I just throw it in the wash every 2-3 days. And as long as the rats don't chew massive holes into the fabric, you only need to buy a couple sets and they last quite a while.... so it's a lot cheaper than buying bedding.
As far as food, my rats' staple diet is Wellness senior dog food. A couple times a week I also give them a homemade mix, pretty much the same as the Suebees diet Foxy linked to. And then whatever sort of fresh fruits/veggies we have on hand.
I used to think the tails were disgusting, too. Right up until I actually got my first rats. You get over it pretty quickly once you fall in love with their sweet personalities and cute faces.
I have a Martins cage for my 2 girls. It's held up really nicely, I've had it for nearly 6 years, 3 of those years it was left sitting in our garage... still looks brand new. I use fleece and towels for bedding. I don't know if it's because I have females now instead of males, but I don't notice ANY smell like I did with other beddings (and I've tried aspen, Carefresh, and Yesterdays News... the YN was the best of those, although not the comfiest). My mom is a freak when it comes to animal smells and she didn't want me to have rats in the first place, and she admits that she doesn't smell them. You would think fabric would get super stinky, but apparently not lol. I just throw it in the wash every 2-3 days. And as long as the rats don't chew massive holes into the fabric, you only need to buy a couple sets and they last quite a while.... so it's a lot cheaper than buying bedding.
As far as food, my rats' staple diet is Wellness senior dog food. A couple times a week I also give them a homemade mix, pretty much the same as the Suebees diet Foxy linked to. And then whatever sort of fresh fruits/veggies we have on hand.
I used to think the tails were disgusting, too. Right up until I actually got my first rats. You get over it pretty quickly once you fall in love with their sweet personalities and cute faces.
Update: We're on the wait list for Haven Rattery but still have about three weeks to go. I'm doing some internet shopping so we can order it soon and have it all set up. FUN! Here's my cart so far: clicky. Let me know if you can't see it and I'll link all the stuff individually.
I'm planning on making hammocks and we will go get toys in person or make them ourselves. We're going to pick out food later too, haven't decided what to go with yet. Can you guys do me a huge favor and point me towards stuff I'm forgetting? I will get a wheel but wanted to go with the one Foxy recommended and Petsmart doesn't have them. The critter nation cage in there is more expensive than the martin cages but it seems to be a lot easier to get into and clean. And it's a standing cage and I really like that. I'm really just rambling now so I'm going to stop. Lol.
I'm planning on making hammocks and we will go get toys in person or make them ourselves. We're going to pick out food later too, haven't decided what to go with yet. Can you guys do me a huge favor and point me towards stuff I'm forgetting? I will get a wheel but wanted to go with the one Foxy recommended and Petsmart doesn't have them. The critter nation cage in there is more expensive than the martin cages but it seems to be a lot easier to get into and clean. And it's a standing cage and I really like that. I'm really just rambling now so I'm going to stop. Lol.
It appears you can't link people to your shopping cart... so no idea what you're forgetting, because I don't know what you "have."
For what it's worth, here's where I bought my Wodent Wheel, this was the cheapest place I could find:
http://www.glideroom.com/
(You've gotta scroooooll down a bit to find the link to it--won't let me link to the direct page)
For what it's worth, here's where I bought my Wodent Wheel, this was the cheapest place I could find:
http://www.glideroom.com/
(You've gotta scroooooll down a bit to find the link to it--won't let me link to the direct page)